A woman on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram was allegedly gang-raped and singed with cigarette butts by four men in front of her minor son. The incident happened on Thursday night.
Narrating the horrifying story, the survivor told police that her husband told to take her and their 5-year-old son to a nearby beach. Instead, he took them to a friend’s house. Once reaching there, the woman claimed she was forced to drink liquor. Later the group of men took her to a nearby vacant plot where she was sexually assaulted.
The woman said that the men burnt her with cigarette butts and slapped many times. The accused also slapped her son when he started to cry. Later, the men allowed her to go after she promised to come back after dropping her son back home.
While way back, going to drop her son, the woman gestured for a vehicle to stop. The woman narrated the harassment to the car occupant and then to the police. The woman was rushed to the hospital.
Thiruvananthapuram rural police superintendent Ashok Kumar said:
“Our preliminary investigation shows the husband was a party to the crime. He even forced his wife to not file a complaint. Some of the arrested have a criminal past.”
The police in the case have arrested five people including the survivor’s husband. The officer said the accused will also be charged under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso). Police suspect the accused were part of a drug-peddling gang.
State Women Commission member Shahida Kamal said the victim will be given protection and the commission will ensure that maximum punishment is handed out to the offenders.
